If you are diagnosed with a mental illness, stick with the treatment plan over the long term, even as you start to feel better. The duration of this type of mental health crisis depends on the individual and factors such as the amount of stress leading up to the breakdown, coping strategies, timing and quality of treatment, any undiagnosed or untreated mental illnesses, and the state of a social support system. A) Treating the symptoms of your nervous breakdown 1. Symptoms can vary and can include anxiety, insomnia, and panic attacks. There’s an age-old quote that says “your illness does not define you; your strength and courage does.” I like to believe that in my case of overcoming a nervous breakdown in December 2016. A nervous breakdown, in reality, is acute mental distress that renders you unable to function in every day life. You may opt-out by. Just talking to someone who will listen is a great way to relieve stress, even if it doesn’t solve any concrete problems that are causing stress. It felt like the person I had been for the last 20 years of my life had died and been replaced with a shell. This past year has been one of the best of my life. If your breakdown is caused by overwhelming stress from another source, its likely to affect the time you’ll need to recover. Although there’s no precise definition, it generally describes the feeling of being under so much prolonged stress that you feel like you’re reaching a breaking point, says neurologist and psychiatrist Dr David A. Merrill. I was already headed in an unhealthy spiral and her death just exacerbated everything. Schedule blocks of time to spend with family, individual friends, and groups of friends. You should also be aware of warning signs of an impending breakdown and use stress relief strategies to prevent it happening again. Once you have been evaluated you can work with a psychiatrist or therapist to develop a treatment plan that will help you better cope with stress and avoid future crises. Symptoms may include delusional thoughts and beliefs, auditory and visual hallucinations, … Many people who have suffered from a nervous breakdown had an underlying mental illness that contributed to it. 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According to Singh symptoms vary depending for the individual, but any extreme behaviour that is unusual should be monitored, and the person should seek help if necessary. If you suffer a nervous breakdown you may feel. If you’re at all suspicious of what your doctor prescribes (I personally would be, because of the side-effects), then talk to him or her about alternatives.. It’s absolutely essential that you feel happy with whichever remedies and treatments you take to get over your nervous breakdown. (Image: Lindsey Boggs, Design: Nick DeSantis). Depending on the severity of the crisis, you may want to consider a short stay in a residential treatment facility. The term “nervous breakdown” comes from the idea of an individual being too nervous to function, or from an over-load of the central nervous system. Carve out that time regularly, even if you can only spare 15 minutes, so that you can maintain your supportive friendships and relationships. Socializing is a natural way to combat stress. Now I’m posting way less, spending less time on Facebook and posting real-life content, not my whimsical Facebook life. Your diagnosis is likely to be a mental health crisis, although a psychiatrist may also determine that you have an underlying mental illness that may or may not have contributed to your current crisis. I quit my job. If you are still struggling to manage your stress and your mood, be sure to get a professional mental health evaluation. Eventually, a state of exhaustion, helplessness and hopelessness takes over. Get involved with work social activities. A nervous breakdown is a mental health crisis rather than a diagnosable condition, but it can be just as serious and it can be very frightening. Socializing is a natural way to combat stress. Of big life events and unprecedented work related stress, my brain stopped working term nervous breakdown is a term. 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